15 minutes
Cook Time:
45 Minutes
Serves:
12 Servings
Level:
Medium
Speed Sauce (Red Sauce Plus)
Prep Time:
About the Recipe
Both versions of this are amazing - you'll be stunned at how good this is (and how good it makes your house smell). The meat version packs a serious protein wallop!
Use this sauce for pasta, but use it for all kinds of other things as well: Over rice, over potatoes, over eggs in the morning; add beans or garbanzos and eat it like a chili (in fact, if you just add a little chili powder and cumin, and leave out the Italian seasoning, it is a fantastic chili!). Use it as a sauce for pizzas, lasagnas, cook it down a little and use it for tacos (same trick with the spices). Add some meatballs and use it as a meatball sauce, either over pasta or in meatball subs.
The significant number of veggies and the quality meats make this an incredible healthy combination of macros. The low sodium (and flavor enhanced with the acids and garlic, onion, and celery, as well as the mushrooms) make it taste out of this world without being a salt bomb. The combination of ground beef and ground turkey is somewhat magical as well...I find them to be far better paired than separate, though I can't say why.
We call this "Speed Sauce" because, originally, we used it with athletes to feed them bulk meals and support their speed training with a low-calorie, high-protein sauce. Now, in cooking in the Instant Pot, we call it speed sauce because it all comes together so fast. With the right equipment (a good large food processor, a good sharp chef knife, and the Instant Pot), you can throw this together in 15 to 20 minutes, and have it ready in just another 45 minutes. And, in the pressure cooker, it'll taste like it's been cooking for hours!
Ingredients
8 Roma Tomatoes
1 can organic tomato paste
1 large onion
3 cloves (or more) garlic
2 medium carrots
3 large stalks celery
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 large green zuchini
1 large yellow (summer) squash
10 mushrooms (about 1 8 oz. container)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar OR
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
3 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
A pinch (or three) red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup red wine of choice (optional - but highly recommended!)
For meat sauce:
1/2 lb. 85% organic grass fed ground beef
1/2 lb. 85% organic ground turkey
Get all the ingredients, the prep tools, and even the appliances you need for this recipe, delivered to your door in as little as 4 hours, in one click!
Preparation
Step 1 - Prep Olive Oil
Pour EVOO in the Insant Pot and heat on Sautee until hot. Don't let it smoke.
Step 2 - Prep Veggies
Roughly chop all veggies and pulse in food processor 5 to 10 times, until they're finely chopped. You may want to slice the mushrooms with a knife if you want whole mushrooms in your sauce - adds a nice texture and you get mushroom flavors throughout the sauce that way.
Leave veggies a little less chopped if you want some texture in your sauce. Otherwise, they'll cook down to the point you won't know the veggies are in there (which is fine...even preferable for some - you literelly won't be able to tell this is a veggie sauce - kids will devour it!)..
Step 3 - Prep Meat
If you're using meat, prepare it to be added with the veggies. Dump your vegetables in and stir, coating in the oil. Then dump your meat in, and stir again, incorporating the veggies with the meat.
Step 4 - Add Seasonings
Add all seasonings and spices, and stir them in. You don't have to get them heavily stirred in, just enough that they're not just sitting on top.
Step 5 - Cook Meat
Cook until meat is browned, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn., about 8 minutes.
Step 6 - Prep Tomatoes
While meat is cooking, pulse the tomatoes in the food processor. If you aren't using a food processor, you run them through your chopper, or just dice them finely with a knife. They'll cook down into a sauce any way you do it.
Step 7 - Add Tomatoes and Liquid Ingredients
Add the tomatoes and all other liquid ingredients. Give it a quick stir to incorporat the liquids.
Step 8 - Pressure Cook 15 minutes
Close the Instant Pot lid and set on Pressure Cook (High) for 15 minutes.
Step 9 - Adjust Seasoning and Serve!
You can either release the pressure when the cycle is over, or let it release naturally. The sauce is ready to go! Feel free to add a little more salt - this is a low-sodium version. Some may want more salt.